Cut-out for electrical translating devices



(NO Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1. C. G. PERKINS.

CUT-OUT FOR ELECTRICAL TRANSLATING DEVICES.

No. 436,087. Patented Sept. 9, 1890.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

C. .P INS. OUT-OUT FOR ELE 0A ANSLATING DEVICES.

No. 436,087. Patented Sept. 9, 1890.1

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III mull Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES G. PERKINS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

CUT-OUT FQR ELECTRICAL TRANSLATING DEVICES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,087, dated September 9, 1890.

Application filed November 2'7, 1886. Serial No. 220,010- (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES G. PERKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Hart ford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cut-Outs for Electric Translating Devices; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to manual cut-outs, and especially to that class in which it is designed to make and break an electrical circuit with a quick or sudden movement so as to prevent sparking. I have illustrated the means by which I accomplish this result in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figurel represents a top view of a cut-out embodying my invention; Figs. 2 and 3, respectively, a side elevation and vertical section through the same. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 show details. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 represent, respectively, a plan, a side elevation, and a vertical section of a modified form of cut-out, and Figs. 10, 11, and 12 show details of the modification.

A in Fig. 1 is the base of mycut-out made of wood or vegetable fiber or other good insulating material. On the said base are mounted four binding-posts B B B B Thebinding-posts are preferably made of metal and normally insulated from each other by airspaces and by the in sulating-base. From the binding-posts project inward toward a common center contact-arms b b b 12 which are I angular in shape and have one part projecting up from the base while the other is parallel and usually in contact therewith or secured thereto.

The upward-projecting portions of the arms I) b 12 b I shall for convenience call the contacts or contact-springs, and shall designate them by the letters 0 c c 0 respectively. They do in fact constitute springs, and they are arranged in the arc of a circle surrounding the center of the insulating-base.

WVithin the contact-springs is located a circular insulating-plug D, on whose outer surface or periphery are secured contact-plates d d. The size of the plug and the thickness and position of the plates d d are so related to the space between the contact-springs that when the plates are brought into line with the springs the latter are pressed back slightly and make good electrical contact with the plates.

The plug D is loosely mounted on a shaft E, which extends down through the middle of the insulating-base A. On the same shaft above the plug D is loosely mounted a square metallic block F, from which projects just above the surface of the plug an arm f, for a purpose that will be hereinafter explained.

Above the block F a ring G is riveted to the shaft and at the top of the shaft an insulating-handle His provided for turning the shaft in either direction. Below the ring G project two pins g g, between which a pin f extends upward from the block F. Two small pins h h project upward from the plug D on either side of the arm f.

Now it is evident that by turning the shaft E, through the medium of the handle H, one of the pins 9 g will be brought into contact with the pin f, according to the direction in which the shaft is turned. If the motion is continued the block F will be turned and the armf will act in like manner on one of the pins h h, turning thereby the plug D and the contact-plates (Z (1. Now the latter extend far enough around the plug to form bridges between either of the two contact-springs c c or 0 c and the plates are so located that when one of them bridges one pair of contacts the other bridges the other pair.

Inasmuch as the binding-posts B B form the points of connection for an outgoing electrio circuit and the posts 13 B form the points of connection for the return-conductors, it is evident that when the plates are so turned as to bridge the contact-springs the circuit will be complete.

In order to prevent the plug from being turned too far in either direction, I provide a pin t,which projects from the under side of the plug and plays in a slotted piece 3, secured in a depression in the insulating-base. The slot in the piece j is circular and is closed at both ends, so as to limit the play of the pin. Its length and position are such that when the pin is in one end the contact-plates themselves adequate means for making and breaking an electric circuit by turning the shaft E in opposite directions.

It is a feature of great importance, however, in devices of this class to provide means for making and breaking the contact by a quick or sudden movement, so as to prevent sparking. To bring about this result I secure to the insulating-block a double spring- 7 yoke K,which has two horizontal spring-arms 70 7c, that stand on opposite sides of the square block F and tend to resist its being turned. The springs 70 and k are connected by rivets or braces Z Z near their outer ends. The relation of the parts is such that when the circuit is open the springs 70 70' hold the block F in such a position that the arm f is in contact with the pin h on the plug D, and the pin f is about half-way between pins 9 g and the ring G.

If, now, it is desired to close the circuit, the shaft will be turned in the direction of the. arrow, Figs. 4, 5, and 6, thereby bringing the pin g against the pin f. By continuing the motion the block is moved into the position shown in Fig. 5, in which position the armf has just made contact with the pin h. Thus far the plug D has not been moved at all. If, however, the shaft be advanced a little farther, the force of the springs 7t- 75', acting on the angular surface of the block F, willthrow the latter rapidly around into a position at right angles to its original position, and carry with it the plug D and the contact-plates d d. In this position (shown in Fig. 6) the electrical circuitis closed, and the closing has been accomplished by a quick movement. The sudden turning of the block F produces no jerking on the handle II, the pinsg and 9 being far enough apart to allow for the movement of the pin f.

The motion first given to the block F by turning the shaft E is not communicated to the plug D, but the power exerted to produce it is stored, so to speak, in the springs 70 7.3, and afterward released to produce a sudden movement of the plug D.

In the modificationillustrated in Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, the block F is located below the plug D and is rigidly connected therewith. The position of' the spring-yoke K is changed to correspond to the changed position of the block F. In this construction the plug is provided with upward-projecting pins corresponding to g g, and between them a pin on the ring G stands. The rim or periphery of the plug is provided with a depression M, within which two movable contact-platesN N are secured. Each of the said contact-plates is provided with a slot 02, within which plays a pin apt-ejecting from the plug. \Vith this arrangement of the parts the plug partakes of the first movement of the shaft, but the movement is not communicated to the contact-plates until, as before, the block F comes under the influence of the springs 7c. Letting Fig. 10 represent the position of the parts when the circuit is open, Fig. 11 will represent their position when the shaft has been turned to the position corresponding to that shown in Fig. 5,whileFig. 12 shows the position of the parts when the circuit is closed-that is to say, the plug is moved through the medium of the pins g, g, and f and carries with it the pins 0 0 within the slots n 01. By the time the parts have been brought into the position shown in Fig. 11 these pins are in the extreme ends of the slots, so that any further motion will carry the contact-plates along and close the circuit. This further motion takes place suddenly, as already described. In this in stance I limit the motion in either direction by putting a circular slotted piece S on the bottom of the plug and passing up into a pin tfrom the base. The action will be readily understood from what has gone before. My improvements will of course apply to different kinds of cut-ou ts, as to switches for electric incandescent lamps or to cut-out apparatus for any sort of electrical translating devices.

WVhile I have described above the operation of my cut-out in making an electric circuit, its action in'breaking the circuit will be readily understood without further explanation. The various parts of the device coact in exactly the same way as during the operation described, except that the plug with its contacts is turned in an opposite direction.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electrical switch, a rotatablymounted spindle, a contact plug or collar loosely mounted thereon, and a ring or collar fixed thereto, in combination with an intermediate loose tripping-block, the said block and the roller and collar being provided with one or more pins or their equivalent, whereby the tripping-block engages with both the collar and the roller, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an electrical switch, a rotatably-mounted spindle, a contact plug or roller loosely mounted thereon and a ring or collar fixed thereto, and a loose angular tripping-bloclgthe said block and the roller and collar being provided with one or more engaging pins or their eqnivalen t, in combination with a spring which is adapted to play upon the sides of the block, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES G. PERKINS.

Witnesses:

WILLARD EDDY, Jusrnv J. GATES. 

